Wednesday, September 21, 2016

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.

Before I get into the story I want to talk about the BEAUTIFUL design of this book! It is a petite hardcover with the gorgeous illustration above, and each page with a chapter number is black. These elements add to the overall feel of the narrative.

This book revolves around the experiences of Charlie, a young woman who has a traumatic past and is thrust into a future of blood, death and elder gods.

Charlie comes home from a rough night to find demon dogs waiting to destroy her. Charlies's mind goes from shock to self defense mode quickly,but it's not enough and as she waits to die, The Man In Black comes to her aide.

He is darkness and death and wields a glowing red hand. Charlie has a very quick learning curve as the creature tells her she is his Acolyte and she must aid him in his cause or lose the life of her friend Daniel.

The man in black, known in the world of Elder Gods as Nyarlathotep seeks to kill his own kind, Elder Gods that will bring about the end of the human race if they aren't destroyed.

But can Charlie really trust the motives of an immortal god? Their adventures will test the limits of trust and power.

I really loved the pacing of this book, and Charlie. I read a lot of specualtive fiction and the most difficult part is getting to the part where the character stops denying their new reality and embraces it.

With the abuse Charlie suffered in the past she is able to quickly switch into coping mechanisms for the fantastical things around her.

Levi has the gift of writing the multifaceted emotions of women, especially women who have experienced trauma. It is obvious tha the is a man who has earned the trust and confidence of women in his life. It is a gift that translates into a character that readers connect with, suffer with and ultimately cheer for. If you are a fan of dark action packed thrills with a touch of Lovecraftian horror this is the book for you!

A really great read, I'm looking forward to more stories being told in this universe.